UK beetroot producers can now export to the US for the first time after a deal between the two countries was struck following detailed talks.
Citing industry estimates, the UK government says export access to the US will boost the UK's beetroot sector by roughly £150,000 a year. The agreement will also enable US firms to diversify their supply and meet demand outside their domestic growing season, it adds.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’s US-based agri-food attaché "was key to delivering this win for the UK," the government says, with Daniel Zeichner, the UK's minister for food security, describing the news as “a significant step forward for our beetroot farmers.”
A 25 September entry in the Federal Register – the US government's daily journal – lays out some of the reasoning behind the deal. Imports have been authorised since 27 September.
"Based on findings of a pest risk analysis, we have determined that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh table beet root from the United Kingdom," it states. Alongside the continental US, the notice also covers Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Tom Bradshaw, president of the UK-based National Farmers' Union (NFU), is confident the new agreement will bring benefits to the agriculture sector. "It is great news that after many years of campaigning, British beetroot growers will have access to the market in the United States for the first time," he says.
"Being able to access the US market, supplementing local production, will help to meet rising consumer demand for this healthy, nutritional crop, creating genuine growth opportunities for farmers and growers in the UK," he adds.
Stephen Shields, vice chair of the NFU horticulture and potatoes board, is also optimistic about how the deal will impact the sector.
"As a grower, I am excited about the historic opportunity for UK beetroot to be exported to the US for the first time," he says. "It also shows just how important the trade visits the NFU conducts are and the opportunities they can deliver for businesses on the ground."
The UK's total exports to the US – the world's largest economy and the UK's biggest trading partner – hit £192bn in the four quarters ending Q1 2024, according to official figures. That represents a rise of 3.2% compared to the four quarters ending Q1 2023.